Pictures from the kids performing at our Christmas party: Bonno reading poetry; The "Four Super Boys" performing, Keneilwe doing a very dramatic scene, and a bunch of the kids plus my coworker Tinny dancing

Happy Holidays!

The holidays are here, but it still doesn't feel like it in Botswana. The heat is back in full force after 2 months of frequent rain and thunderstorms. Christmas is not a huge deal- there's some of the same hubbub at the stores, a ton of people traveling, but I really have to use my imagine to envision it being Christmas. I'm spending Christmas with a few friends, eating lots and trying to make it seem more festive.
Last week Stepping Stones International, the NGO that I'm working for, had our Christmas party with the kids. The kids pretty much organized the whole event, coming up with songs, dances, poetry, and even a drama to perform for their caregivers, my coworkers and I, and some members of the community. It was a great way to end the year with the kids, since our center will be closed until after New Years.
I'll soon be leaving to go up to the Okavango Delta for the first time- it's supposed to be the most beautiful part of the country, with some of the most diverse wildlife and a welcome watery diversion from the otherwise parched desert. I'll be visiting with other volunteers and camping out for the New Year, so it should be a great time.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I miss everyone back home and hope you're all doing well!

Holidays

I spent most of Thanksgiving weekend waiting for buses and riding them- not how I had intended to spend it, but at least the times between busrides were enjoyable :) I went up to Mahalapye to visit my good friend Chandni and her parents who were still visiting- they were having a party with a bunch of Chandni's coworkers. Her mom cooked an amazing Indian feast and we all ended up dancing- some Setswana dancing, some Indian dancing, and some dancing I really couldn't associate with any culture. It was certainly a unique evening.
The following day I ventured out to Phikwe where I met up with at least 20 other volunteers for a real Thanksgiving feast. I arrived just in time to eat all my favorites- mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and a bunch of other comfort foods. It was so nice to meet up with so many other volunteers and get updates on their progress with their projects. Many people are struggling in their jobs- one of my friends had her counterpart (boss) die very suddenly and now her organization is nearly closing; another was strangled in her house. But overall most people are making some progress in their work- it's just a very challenging experience.
Things at work have been okay for me- things are slowing down a bit as the kids are on their holiday break from school- many are out of town visiting family. We're planning a big Christmas party next week, complete with a drama performance by the kids, prominent community members visiting, a big feast, and presents for the kids and their families. It should be really fun, I'll do my best to get pictures to post.
As Christmas approaches, I feel really sad to be so far from home, but I'm very thankful to be safe, have good friends here, and to be able to keep in touch with everyone.

Giant Moths, Diwali, and Learning to Teach

The last few weeks have flown by- I’m still reeling at the shock of it being nearly halfway through November. What happened? Fortunately the increased speed of things has been for a good reason- I’m enjoying work (and feeling inspired), and having a great deal of fun with my friends. For Halloween, which nobody celebrates here except us crazy Peace Corps Volunteers, I ventured to a village called Bobonong to meet up with a bunch of my friends. We had a braai (the Setswana word for barbeque), dressed up in some hilarious costumes- the Hamburglar, Bam Bam, a sumo wrestler… and many more- and I’m sure the neighbors thought we were genuinely insane. But it was a great time. On the way back to Mochudi, our bus was stopped at a checkpoint- apparently the area around Bobonong has been known for hoof and mouth disease, thus people’s shoes are checked in hopes of not spreading contamination to other parts of the country- and as I stepped off of the bus I noticed a moth larger than my hand. It was beautiful- grayish in color with large eye-like circles on the wings, covered in a delicate layer of fur- but it still caught me off guard as I had never imagined a moth so huge. As I looked around I saw another one… and another one… and suddenly realized they were EVERYWHERE, nearly covering the ground. Most of them were dead, but some were still stirring. I looked out over the main road and saw another collection of them, most of them crushed by the passing cars. The whole scene seemed like an eerie experience out of a horror movie- I tried to imagine all of them in flight, but the thought was a little to creepy to entertain for long.

This last weekend my good friend Chandni’s parents came to town and invited me to meet up with them in Gabs to celebrate Diwali, an Indian festival of lights. We ate at one of the few Indian restaurants in the country, and I can’t even begin to describe the meal- we had several courses (too many to count) that had so many different and unique flavors and textures- it was some of the best food I’ve ever had. Compared to my usual attempts at cooking for one, eating an amazing meal with great company was a dream come true.

On the work end of things, I’ve been having a great time. I’m becoming more comfortable working with the kids, and I can tell they’re getting more comfortable with me as well. In the beginning none of them would talk to me (most of them are very shy, and especially so around foreign strangers), but now I feel like I’m really getting to know them better. I’m working with the younger kids daily to help them learn to read stories in English (most of them can read a little bit, but not well). I’ve also been doing more on the administrative side of things- learning to write proposals, helping with accounting, writing some of the content for our upcoming website- so I’ve been busy and learning a lot. All is well.

Adventures with Mom

My mom came to visit for about 10 days and it was great fun! I tried to introduce her to life in Botswana as best as I could- the crowded bus rides, the beautiful and newly green scenery that stretches on for miles, the kind and slightly slower-paced people, the cows, goats and donkeys that roam the city streets freely- so many different experiences to take in. We spent a lot of our time around Gaborone and Mochudi, going to the Gaborone game reserve (saw lots of monkeys!) and looking at arts and crafts- we found an amazing place called Oodi Weavers (in a small village called Oodi) where these old women spend hours everyday hand weaving wool tapestries and wall-hangings. They spin their own yarn from sheeps wool, then hand-dye it and then hand weave everything on large wooden looms. It takes them a month to weave a square meter! Most of the weavings display traditional village scenes, with rondavel houses (round huts), livestock, and daily activities that many of the Batswana partake in.
Dereje, one of my good friends, drove us around for the weekend and took us to Otse, Lobatse, and Pitsane, all villages in the southern part of the country. We stopped at the Otse Cheese Factory (the only cheese factory in the country), visited my boyfriend Jason's village, and eventually returned to Gaborone for a delicious Ethiopian meal cooked by one of Dereje's friends.
The next day a visit to my host family in Kumakwane was in order, so my mom got to meet my Motswana mom. My host mom was so excited to see me and meet mom. My host brother, Bofelo, already looked older and more mature despite it only being a few months since I've seen him. It was great to visit and have mom meet the family that helped me get through the very rough first few months in Botswana.
Mom got to meet the kids that I work with, spending time helping them to write letters to their US pen pals. It was a fun activity, and all the kids took it really seriously. It's very hard for most of them to write in English, so it was nice to have mom there to help out. We even got to meet Muriel Williams, the sister-in-law of the first president- she came to speak to the kids about what it was like to grow up during World War II and leading a life of volunteerism. She's English but has been living in Africa for the 38 years, the last 10 of which have been in Botswana.
Friday, on our way up north to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, we spent a night in Palapye with some other Peace Corps Volunteers, and then proceeded to Serowe, a large town known as the home of the first president, Seretse Khama. We stumbled upon an old, abandoned church surrounded by a few other derelict buildings, rocky cliffs and several different types of cacti. From on top of the rocks we got a terrific view of Serowe, and we had a blast taking pictures of our strange surroundings. Who knew abandoned buildings could be so exciting? We finally made it to the rhino sanctuary later in the day. This was my second time there, but it was still a lot of fun- we went on a guided drive for almost 2 hours and saw white and black rhinos, wildebeest, impala, kudu, springbok, zebras, and warthogs. I managed to arrange for mom to meet some of my good friends up north as well, and we had excellent Indian food made by my good friend Chandni.
All in all it was great to have mom here. It was hard when she left because it reminded me just how far from home I am, and how long it will be before I get to go back. But at least I have good friends here, I have a great job that keeps me busy, and I have some great memories of adventures with my mom.

Holiday fun and hard work

Last weekend was a holiday weekend- Botswana celebrated 41 years of independence on September 30th, and we got Monday and Tuesday off of work which was nice. I made a trip to some villages further south to visit some other Peace Corps Volunteer friends- went to a couple of birthday parties and ended up spending tons of time on buses and waiting for transportation. Just another reminder that things here definitely move at a different pace. I definitely miss the convenience of having a car, but at least time on the bus usually translates into reading time, assuming I manage to get a seat.
Work has been very busy this week, and I've been fighting a bad cold which doesn't help. Sarah, the volunteer who is staying with me, has been teaching the kids about marketing and they seem to be enjoying having her around. Hopefully I'll get to spend more time with the kids soon, but in the meantime I'm doing research and helping with administrative and organizational stuff that needs to be done. Stepping Stones International is going to be expanding soon to accommodate more kids, so that means a lot of planning and proposal writing for funding needs to happen. It's an exciting time, and time seems to be flying by. I can't believe it's already October and I'm going to be 26 in a few days!
My mom comes to visit next week and I can't wait! I'll try to get some great pictures when she's here and will post them in the near future.

Feeling the heat, training, and some guests

It's now spring here and the shift in temperature has been dramatic- for almost every day in the last month I've been able to walk out my door before 8am in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals and be perfectly comfortable; by afternoon I'm hiding from the intense, dry heat. It's been quite a shock to my system, and it's only going to get worse- summer is fast-approaching and I'm awaiting the 100+ degree days. Good times!
The past few weeks have been filled with training, work, and a sprinkling of fun here and there. The last three weeks have been mostly consumed by counseling training which has been provided by my work- it’s good information, but it’s been very tiring to be in training even on Saturdays. This upcoming weekend is my first chance to really have some free time- it’s a holiday weekend since Sunday, September 30th is Botswana’s Independence Day. Botswana first became independent from the British protectorate in the 1960s, so it’s a fairly young country. Independence Day is a very proud occasion for the Batswana, and there are said to be a great deal of festivities taking place to mark the occasion.
Last week a volunteer from the US named Sarah arrived- she will be staying with me for the next 5 weeks while she helps teach the kids at our center how to come up with and run income generating projects. She has her degree in business marketing, and she has some great ideas for what the kids can work on. Fortunately she’s really nice and about my age as well, so the company is welcome! It’s interesting to get a non-Peace Corps perspective on things here- I feel a little bit bad because compared to America there is very little to do here for fun. It’s not safe to go out after dark (around 7pm), there’s nowhere to go even if it were safe (there aren’t really pubs or dance clubs or restaurants that aren’t pretty sketchy), and even during the day there is little to do besides socialize with the neighbors. I’ve grown pretty used to spending a lot of time alone, reading and writing and learning Setswana, but for an outsider it can be a little daunting. Hopefully Sarah will get a chance to travel around the country a bit to make things more interesting.
In addition to Sarah, I had a few Peace Corps friends visit me last weekend which was really fun. It’s always so nice to meet up with other volunteers and discuss differences and similarities in our experiences- I think we learn a lot from each other.
The kids I’m working with continue to be a source of energy and excitement- it’s so apparent that they take nothing for granted and that even the smallest gestures of kindness mean the world to them. We’ve been involving them in activities to help them learn job skills and I’m focusing on teaching them about creative writing- they put so much effort and thought into the activities, it’s really inspiring to work with them. I’m also trying to organize a group of kids to go to Camp GLOW- it’s a week-long camp in December to help guys and girls to develop as leaders, learn life skills and build self-esteem, and then to return to their villages and help to empower other youth to do the same. Hopefully things will work out so I get to go along as a group leader- it would be a great way to help work with youth to hopefully make some positive changes in the community.

Pictures from Kanye

Monkeys at the motel, eating garbage

Me and friends at "the beautiful place"

Sunset over Kanye

Monkeys, Soccer, and a New Home

The last few weeks were spent in Kanye, a bustling town in the southern part of the country. Kanye is beautiful, spread out over several large, rolling hills covered in greenish brush and red sand. I met up with about 20 other volunteers at a nice, quiet motel surrounded by trees and even a family of monkeys. We spent many days being trained in Setswana, organizational development, and other topics aimed at helping us be effective volunteers. The after-hours were spent watching movies, playing soccer (I hadn’t played in many years and it brought out my competitive side all over again, so fun!), and just catching up. It was great to see volunteers from all over the country and get different perspectives on life in other villages. It was strange to be around other Americans, but it was comforting to be with people I could better relate to, and it was great to see my friends from our initial training.
Coming back to Mochudi is a little hard since my good friend Manda, the other PCV in Mochudi, decided to leave Peace Corps early to go back to the U.S. She left earlier this week and unfortunately I didn’t get to see her before she left. The only upside to her departure is that she helped work out the details so I can move into her house- since I’ve had security issues at my own house, it’s really nice to come back to a place that is seemingly safer and also furnished- it feels much more like home.
The next few weeks will be busy with more training- I’m being trained to be a counselor to help with my work. I’m really excited to see the kids again since I’ve been away for so long- I’m anxious to get back to work!
In case anyone is interested in reading about Mochudi’s chief who recently died, here’s a link to an article from one of the main newspapers in Botswana: http://www.mmegi.bw/2007/August/Wednesday22/1.php

On Hiatus

Just wanted to write a quick note to let friends/family know that I will be in Peace Corps training for the next 2 weeks, and I'm unsure of whether or not I'll have internet access during that time. Big news in Mochudi this week, Kgosi (chief) Linchwe II, one of the most renowned and well-regarded chiefs in the country, passed away yesterday. I'll try to include some history on him in an upcoming blog entry just to give an idea of the interesting life he led.
Other than that, things are going well overall. I'll post a more in-depth update soon.

Tarantula, New friends, and speaking French

This weekend brought a surprise guest to my house- as I was cleaning the kitchen I discovered an enormous spider (which I later determined was most likely a tarantula) just hanging out on the floor. I screamed and bolted from the room like a little kid, and when I went back in hours later it was gone. I was hoping that would be the last of it, but later when I returned home it had resurfaced, this time right in front of the door to my hallway. I was so irrationally jumpy around it that I couldn’t summon up the courage to either kill or get rid of it otherwise. So I left the house again and when I returned it was once again gone. It hasn’t resurfaced since Saturday, so I’m hoping it found its way back outside after its few interactions with that crazy screaming person that is me.
It’s been difficult to adjust to being in such a different cultural environment, but I’ve been lucky enough to meet some very nice people who have helped to keep me from becoming a total hermit. My neighbor’s daughter, Shathani, is a very kind girl- she is a bit younger than me, but she’s been very nice to have tea with since we’re both learning a lot from each other. I’m learning a lot from her about what it’s like for youth in Botswana, and she’s learning about America from me. She may even teach me to be a better cook, which is quite exciting. I also randomly met a girl at the post office named Tebby- she is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Botswana and also lives on her own in Mochudi. She’s really friendly and intelligent- so there’s hope for me to have a social life here :)
This week I’ve noticed some definite differences in the kids at our center- some of the normally very shy and reserved kids have opened up a lot just in the short time that I’ve been working here. I was so excited to see everyone participating in activities such as a game where everyone in the group had to introduce themselves in French- we’re planning to teach the kids a bit about a different country/language each week to expose them to other cultures. These kids have so much potential, and after talking with many of them this week I’ve seen that it’s clear they’re excited to come to the center because there’s just not much else to do in the community for youth. It’s good to be reminded that our center is potentially keeping kids out of trouble and hopefully helping them develop themselves and eventually impact their community.

Some pictures from training

Here are a few pics from my two months away from internet :)
Top Left: Huge boulders in Thamaga
Top Right: Dana and Chandni, two of my good friends from training
Bottom Left: My host sister and brother (looking very serious), Lone and Bofelo
Bottom Right: My host mother and her handwoven baskets (and her mother in the background)

Some Basics about Life in Botswana- Part 1: Food

In case anyone is interested, I've decided to document a few things that I've noticed about Botswana (and subsequently grown used to over the last 3 months) in the next few blog entries. If anyone has anything in particular they want to hear about, just email me and I'll be sure to answer your questions! It's an interesting place to say the least!
Food: So traditional Setswana cuisine takes some getting used to, a little moreso for me coming from a vegetarian diet- a usual meal consists of chicken (usually boiled with salt and flavoring packets)- chicken breast is not popular here, people are very fond of the other parts and even eat the bones. The side dishes usually consist of phaleche (papa)- a thick porridge made from maize meal; samp- maize cooked until thick and lumpy and flavored with salt (also often combined with beans); beetroot salad (mostly just shredded beets); coleslaw; merogo (vegetables)- I've had many combinations of leafy greens sauteed with carrots, onions, and potatoes. Cattle are praised in this country, but beef is eaten mostly for special occasions because of it's cost. One delicacy that I rarely see here but has a reputation for being delicious is the mophane worm- it's a caterpillar that is usually deep fried until crispy. I actually ate one- it tasted fine, but I was a little freaked out by how much it still resembled a caterpillar- very interesting!
As far as drinks are concerned, tea is customary for guests- usually rooibos (red) tea is served (with tons of sugar for most Batswana I've met) and black tea is popular as well. Sadly for me, it's very hard to get real coffee- there is mostly instant coffee which is mixed with chicory and a filler substance- not to be consumed without lots of milk and sugar. Alcoholic drinks are extremely popular here- alcoholism is a huge problem but one that is not addressed or even recognized in most of the country. The most common drink is called Chibuku, or shake shake, which is sold at stands all over paper cartons- it's a beer made from sorghum that is unfiltered and very sour and bitter. Otherwise there is lots of beer and wine imported from South Africa, and a cream liqueur called Amarula, made from the marula fruit (similar to Irish cream or kahlua, with a slightly fruitier taste).

First week with the kids!

Wednesday was our first day working full-time with the kids at the centre. It was exciting to finally get to know some of them better and to start doing activities with them. As people arrived, we started a volleyball match (with a nearly deflated volleyball and a “net” consisting of a wire cord attached to two poles) which was really fun- all but 2 kids wanted to play and it got pretty competitive. It amazes me that there is such a variety of kids- the young, very shy 12-year-olds, to the much more confident 18-year old guys, and all attitudes and ages in between. Some of the kids are very slow learners, while others obviously need to be challenged. Overall the group is very quiet, and it takes a long time to get them to open up for discussion, especially in a group setting. It’s going to take some time to help these kids become more confident and outgoing. But despite their shyness, it's obvious the kids are really excited to be at the centre and getting a chance to just be kids- something they rarely get to do at home.
Overall this week went well, with a few bumps along the way. Monday and Tuesday were holidays in Botswana, so I wasn’t working and most of my neighbors were away for the long weekend. I was woken up during the night by what sounded like someone trying to get into my house, and I saw someone pass by my window. I ended up calling the police who showed up very quickly, I was so relieved. I feel safe overall, but still haven't been sleeping too well since. At least I've gotten to know my neighbors much better and feel like I have options if there's an emergency.
I’ve managed to make some random friends- I'm being approached by people rather constantly because I stand out so much, but it's definitely a mix of nice people and people just looking for money or a way to America. It's exhausting just running errands sometimes because of the attention I get, but I'm learning how to deflect the negative attention as much as possible. I've made several friends in the past week just by networking with neighbors and coworkers. There are a lot of very kind people in Botswana.
I’m also learning how to cook- I’ve managed to make some really tasty Indian food, thanks to recipes from my friend Chandni (I was in training with her), and I now make my own tortillas, bread, and curries. It’s quite exciting that my culinary experiments are actually edible! Hopefully by the time I have visitors I'll be an expert chef :)

Khama Rhino Sanctuary

These are some pictures from a few months ago when I went to Khama Rhino Sanctuary near Serowe. I saw black rhinos, white rhinos, wildebeests, zebras, gemsbok (a type of antelope) and right at twilight managed to spy a few giraffes.

Pictures of Mochudi

My new house!

Welcome to Mochudi!

After 2 months of Peace Corps training, I'm finally an official volunteer! I recently moved into my new home in Mochudi, Botswana, a large village northeast of Gaborone, the capital. It's been quite an adjustment going from living with a host family in a small village to living alone in a big house in a bustling town! I've managed to make some good friends already- Manda, another Peace Corps volunteer, and her fiancee Dereje live nearby and have been extremely helpful with the adjustment process; Tinny, a Motswana woman from my work is very nice and has been introducing me to the community (and inviting me over to watch her favorite tv show, WWE wrestling!).
I'm currently working for a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) called Stepping Stones International. This organization serves adolescents who are orphans or vulnerable children (living in poverty and often have family members who are suffering from HIV/AIDS or other illnesses). Currently there are a large number of orphans in Botswana, mostly due to HIV/AIDS. Many children have lost their parents and thus become the caregivers for their younger siblings, or live with grandparents or other relatives, often being subjected to difficult living conditions, neglect, and abuse. Mochudi has an astounding number of kids in need, so I'm very happy to be working for such a great organization.
Starting this Wednesday, our center will be open for after-school programs for the kids- ranging from leadership, study skills, and job skill training, to sports, volunteer events, and other activities to help these kids thrive.